Car-seal.



S. F. ESTELL.

GAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27,1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

rinrrnn s'rans rarer SAMUEL F. ESTELL, 0F FLORENCE, CALIFORNIA.

GAR-SEAL.

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. Es'rELL, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Florence, county of Los Angeles, and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Seals, of which the following is a specification, and which areillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to seals of the form particularly intended forsecuring the doors of railway freight cars in such a way that theycannot be opened without destruction of the seal.

More specifically, the invention relates to that type of car sealstermed automatic seals, and comprising a chambered head and a flexiblemetallic shackle secured to the head at one of its ends, an opening forreceiving the free end of the shackle being provided in the wall of thehead, and locking means being .inclosed within the head forautomatically securing the free end of the shackle when inserted thereinthrough the opening.

The object of the invention is to provide a car seal of the typedescribed, which shall be effective in operation and of simple andinexpensive construction.

The invention is exemplified in the structure to be hereinafterdescribed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a plan view of a metallic blank from which a seal embodyingthe features of the invention may be constructed; Figs. 2 and 3 areperspective views showing the blank as it appears at different stages inthe construction of a seal therefrom; Fig. l is similar to a detail ofFig. 3 but illustrates a still further step in the construction of aseal; F ig. 5 shows in perspective a car seal embodying the features ofthe invention as constructed from the blank illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3and a, a part of the shackle of the seal being broken away; Fig. 6 is adetail longitudinal central section of the seal illustrated in Fig. 5,showing the parts of the seal in locked position, and some of the partsbeing shown in side elevation; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-section of the same as viewed from the broken line 7-7on Fig. 6 the tongue 13 being omitted in this figure.

The car seal illustrated in the drawings comprises a chambered head 10,and a flexible metallic shackle 11, which preferably Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed February 27, 1909.

Patented Apr. 19, 1910.

Serial No. 480,393.

takes the form of a strap. The walls of the chambered head 10 areprovided with a slotted opening, generally designated by the numeral 12.As viewed in Fig. 7 of the drawings this slotted opening has ahorizontal intermediate portion 38 and vertical end portions 39, 40, andis therefore of flattened U-shape. A tongue 13 havingflanges 13 wherebyit is made of channel form adapted to enter the chamber of the head 10through the Ushaped opening 12 is formed upon one of the ends of theshackle 11. Preferably a shoulder 14: is also formed on the shackle 11at the base of the tongue 13, to serve as a cover for the opening 12when the tongue is inserted therein.

Automatic locking means are provided for securing the tongue 13 withinthe chamber of the head 10. As shown, an aperture 15 is formed in thetongue 13, preferably adjacent its outer end, and a spring barb 16 ishoused within the chamber of thehead 10 to enter the aperture 15.

The walls of the head 10, the shackle 11, and tongue 13, and the springbarb 16 are most conveniently formed integral, as from a blank 17 ofsheet metal. As shown, the

walls of the head 10 comprise a base 18 and bowed cover 19, formed,respectively, from widened portions 20, 21, of the blank 17. In theformation of the head 10 of the seal, the base 18 and cover 19 arebrought together by folding the blank 17 at the part 22 connecting thewidened portions 20 and 21. For permanently closing the head the sideedges of the base and cover are interfolded and crimped, as shown at 23,24 (Figs. 5 and 7) this interfolding of the edges being preferablyefiected through the formation of flanges 25 extending along the sideedges of the widened portion 20 of the blank 17, for receiving and beingfolded over upon the side edges 26 of the widened portion 21 of theblank, when these parts are brought together by folding the part 22. Asshown at 27 (Fig. 5) the folded part 22 of the blank constituting theend of the head 10 of the seal, is preferably crimped to prevent accessto the head by opening this fold. The U-shaped slotted opening 12 ispreferably provided by aperturing the cover member 19 of the wall of thehead adjacent the base of the barb 16, as most clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The shackle 11 of the seal is preferably formed from that part of theblank 17 extending away from the widened portion 20, the tongue 13 beingformed upon the outer free end of the shackle. The U-shaped slottedopening 12 provided in the wall of the chambered head 10, is preferablyformed in the bowed or oifset end of the cover 19, as most clearly shownin Fig. 3 of the drawings, this opening being thus located in that partof the head 10 adjacent the base of the shackle 11 when the parts of theblank forming the head are folded together, as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7The spring barb 16 is most desirably formed from a part 28 of the blank17, projecting from the end of the widened portion 21 employed for theformation of the bowed cover 19. For stiffening the barb 16 the blank 17is preferably formed with lateral wings 29, 30, which are folded overthe part 28, as is shown in Fig. t, to increase the thickness of thebarb. In the formation of the seal the barb 16 is inclosed within thechamber of the head 10 by folding it over upon the cover member 19, asshown at 31 in Fig. 6, this folded part of the barb thus providing aclosure for the head at the point where the outer end of the covermember 19 meets the base member 18 at the base of the shackle 11.

To insure that the end of the barb 16 will enter the aperture 15 of thetongue 13 formed on the end of the shackle 11, when the tongue isinserted into the chamber of the head 10 through the opening 12, the endof the barb is upturned, as shown at 32 (Figs. 4 and 6). Preferably asocket 33 is formed in the cover member 19 of the head 10 for receivingthe upturned end 32 of the barb 16, and the end of the barb is pressedinto this socket by means of a lug 34; (Fig. 6) which bears upwardly onthe barb adjacent its base and is formed by striking up a portion of thebase member 18 of the head, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings.

When the tongue 13 is inserted into the chamber of the head through theopening 12, the barb 16 is yieldingl-y depressed by a cam engagement ofthe end of the tongue with the upwardly curved end 82 of the barb, thuspermitting the end of the tongue to pass the end of the barb. lVhen theaperture 15, provided in the tongue, comes into register with the end ofthe barb, the barb reenters the socket 33 through the aperture 15 byreason of its elasticity, and by reason of upward pressure of the lug 3%upon the barb adjacent its base, thus securely locking the free end ofthe shackle in the chamber of the head.

Preferably indicators are formed on the shackle 11 adjacent its ends toprevent the shackle from being cut and the severed ends again secured tothe head 10 without detection. As shown, these indicators take the formof an aperture 35, provided in the inner end of the shackle, and a starand dart 36, 37, struck up in the material of the shackle adjacent itsouter end.

Preferably the shoulder 14L is formed by striking up a rib in thematerial of the shackle 11 extending transversely across the face andsides of the chambered tongue 13 adjacent its base. The lug 34 struck upfrom the base 18 of the head 10, in addition to bearingupwardly on thebarb 16, serves as a stop for preventing the insertion of a tool intothe shoulder of the head between the folded part 31 (Fig. 6) ofthc barband the base of the shackle 11.

I claim as my invention 1. In a car seal, in combination, a chamberedhead having a U-shaped slotted opening in its wall, a shackle, one endof the shackle being provided with a channeled tongue, thecross-sectional configuration of the tongue being the shape of theUshaped slotted opening in the wall of the head whereby the tongue fillsthe opening when inserted therein, and a lock for securing the tonguewithin the chamber of the head.

2. In a car seal, in combination, a chambered head having a U-shapedslotted opening in its wall, a shackle one end of the shackle beingprovided with a channeled tongue and with a shoulder at the base of thetongue, the cross-sectional configuration of the tongue being the shapeof the U- shaped slotted opening in the wall of the head whereby thetongue fills the opening when inserted therein, and a lock for securingthe tongue wlthin the chamber of the head.

8. In a car seal, in combination, a chambered head having a U-shapedslotted opening in its wall, a shackle, one end of the shackle beingprovided with an apertured channeled tongue and with a shoulder at thebase of the tongue, the cross-sectional con figuration of the tonguebeing the shape of the U-shaped slotted opening in the wall of the head,whereby the tongue fills the opening when inserted therein, and a springbarb within the chamber of the head forentering the aperture of thetongue.

4. In a car seal, in combination, a chambered headhaving a U-shapedslotted opening in its wall, a shackle, one end of the shackle beingprovided with an apertured channeled tongue, the cross-sectionalconfiguration of the tongue being the shape of the U-shaped slottedopening in the wall of the head whereby the tongue fills the openingwhen inserted therein, and a spring barb within the chamber of the headfor entering the aperture of the tongue.

5. In a car seal, in combination, a chambered head comprising a base anda bulging cover having their side edges interfolded, a spring barbintegral with the cover member of the head folded into the chamber ofthe head from the end of the cover, an opening in the wall of the headabove the base of the barb, a lug formed on the base member of the headbearing upwardly on the barb, and a shackle adapted to enter the chamberof the head through the opening and engage the barb.

6. A car seal formed from an integral blank of sheet metal comprising,in combination, a chambered head including a base member and a bulgingcover member joined at one end, the cover member having a U- shapedslotted aperture constituting an entrance to the chamber of the headremote from that end of the head at which the base and cover members arejoined, the side edges of the base and cover members being interfolded,a shackle joined to the base member of the head at that end adjacent theaperture of the cover, the outer free end of the shackle being aperturedand being channeled, its cross-sectional configuration being the shapeof the Ushaped slotted aperture of the cover whereby the shackle fillssuch aperture when inserted therein, and a spring barb joined to thecover member at that end adjacent the cover aperture and crossing thechamber of the head behind such aperture.

7. A car seal formed from an integral blank of sheet metal comprising,in combination, a chambered head including a base member and a bulgingcover member joined at one end, the cover member having a U- shapedslotted aperture constituting an entrance to the chamber of the headremote from that end of the head at which the base and cover members arejoined, the side edges of the base and cover members being interfolded,a shackle joined to the base member of the head at that end adjacent theaperture of the cover, an apertured channeled tongue formed on the freeend of the shackle, the cross-sectional configuration of the tonguebeing the shape of the U-shaped slotted aperture of the cover wherebythe tongue fills such aperture when inserted therein, a transverse ribformed on the shackle at the base of the tongue, and a spring barbjoined to the cover member at that end adjacent the cover aperture andcrossing the chamber of the head behind such aperture.

8. A car seal formed from an integral blank of sheet metal comprising,in combination, a chambered head including a base member and a bulgingcover member oined at one end, the cover member having a socket at itstop and a U-shaped slotted aperture constituting an entrance to thechamber of the head remote from that end of the head at which the baseand cover members are joined, the side edges of the base and covermembers being interfolded, a shackle joined to the base member of thehead at that end adjacent the aperture of the cover, the outer free endof the shackle being apertured and being channeled, its cross-sectionalconfiguration being the shape of the U-shaped slotted aperture of thecover whereby the shackle fills such aperture when inserted therein, anda spring barbjoined to the cover member at that end adjacent the coveraperture and crossing the chamber of the head behind such aperture, thepoint of the barb entering the socket at the top of the cover.

9. A car seal formed from an integral blank of sheet metal comprising,in combination, a chambered head including a base member and a bulgingcover member joined at one end, the cover member having a socket at itstop and a U-shaped slotted aperture constituting an entrance to thechamber of the head remote from that end of the head at which the baseand cover members are joined, the side edges of the base and covermembers being interfolded, a shackle joined to the base member of thehead at that end adjacent the aperture of the cover, the outer free endof the shackle being apertured and being channeled, its cross-sectionalconfiguration being the shape of the U-shaped slotted aperture of thecover whereby the shackle fills such aperture when inserted therein, aspring barb joined to the cover member at that end adjacent the coveraperture and crossing the chamber of the head behind such aperture, thepoint of the barb entering the socket at the top of the cover, and a lugformed on the base member gt {She head and bearing upwardly on the 10. Acar seal formed from an integral blank of sheet metal comprising, incombination, a chambered head including a base member and a bulgingcover member joined at one end, the cover member having a socket at itstop and a slotted aperture constituting an entrance to the chamber ofthe head remote from that end of the head at which the base and covermembers are joined, the side edges of the base and cover members beinginterfolded, a shackle joined to the base member of the head at that endadjacent the aperture of the cover, the outer free end of the shacklebeing apertured, a spring barb joined to the end of the cover memberadjacent the aperture and crossing the chamber of the head behind theaperture, the point of the barb entering the socket at the top of thecover, and a lug formed on the base member of the cover and bearingupwardly on the barb.

11. In a car seal, in combination, a chambered head comprising a basemember and a bulging cover member having a socket at its top, the sideedges of the base and cover members being interfolded, a spring barbintegral with the cover member folded into the chamber of the head fromthe end of the cover, the point of the barb entering the socket at thetop of the cover, an opening in the Wall of the head above the base ofthe barb, a lug formed on the base member of the head bearing upwardlyon the barb, and a shackle adapted to enter the chamber of the headthrough the opening and engage the barb.

12. In a car seal, in combination, a chambered head having a base and acover, the cover member having a socket and the base member having alug, a spring barb extending over the lug and entering the socket, anopening in the Wall of the head in front of the barb, and a shacklehaving an apertured tongue for entering the chamber of the head throughthe opening and engaging the barb.

13. In a car seal, in combination, a chambered head having an opening atone end, a socket in one of its side Walls and a lug upon the oppositeside Wall, a barb extending backwardly from the open end of the headobliquely across the chamber of the head over the lug and into thesocket, and a shackle having an end adapted to enter the chamber of thehead through the opening and having a barb-receiving aperture adjacentsuch end.

SAMUEL F. ESTELL. WVitnesses:

A. D. WVEs'rBRooK, GEORGE Honnn.

